The Rising Dawn
by Cayuna
Summary: Ichigo is a normal high school boy until he meets Rukia who is the next soul queen. Rukia needs to convince him he is the true king, train him, all while protecting him from hollows. But will she convince him in enough time to save her Kingdom? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Cayuna: Hiya people! I'm here with a new story. Bleach…this is for my friend Alicia-chan for her birthday!**

**Rukia: Oh, how sweet, you're writing a story for your friend for her birthday.**

**Ichigo: Really that's all you're doing?**

**Rukia: Shut up Ichigo! That's really kind!**

**Ichigo: Uh-hu sure…**

**Cayuna: No that's not all I'm doing, but I thought I'd give her something special that she really liked! Both of us both love IchiRuki, so I wanted to give this to her!**

**Ichigo: Whatever…**

**Cayuna: Ichigo you're so mean, and since you're so mean you have to do the caption haha!**

**Ichigo: Fine, Cayuna doesn't own anything from Bleach…happy?**

**Cayuna: Yep! Now start the story and Happy Birthday Alicia-chan!**

-The Rising Dawn-

Ichigo POV

"Ichigo," I heard whispered, "Ichigo! ICHIGO!"

"Nyaaahhh! What?" I yelled as I jumped out of bed.

"FINALLY ICHIGO MY SON! IT'S YOUR FIRST DAY OF SOPHMORE YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LATE!" My idiot of a father yelled, while prancing around the room.

I rolled over and looked at the clock, 6:43 A.M. I sat up slowly, pulling my feet over the bed, and ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding my fathers, large foot. This foot I grabbed as it passed and quickly tossed him out the door. I heard him tumble down the stairs and begin to climb up them again.

_No, you don't_, I thought, as I got to the door first slammed it in his face and locked it.

"Ichigo my son is growing up, he's getting to fast for me Masaki!" I heard him cry as he fell down the stairs again.

"Finally," I grumbled to myself. _My father is a total nut job and my life is as boring as hell…but then again I don't think hell would be very boring…_

-I-

After spending about, what, fifteen minutes getting ready. I was looking around for something to kill my time. I still had forty-five minutes until I had to leave. I decided to help Yuzu, my little sister, make breakfast. Man what a failure that was!

I ended up with eggs somehow all over me, and then I managed to dump half the flour over myself somehow… This day couldn't get any worse could it?

"ICHIGO!" My father yelled while flying through the kitchen, Crap, I had cursed myself…

-I-

School was all the same, and boring as well. All my friends were still there, and Keigo was still an idiot.

"Hey!" I heard him cry with fake tears. Oops, must've said that aloud…

"Kurosaki-kun! Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said as she ran up to me, "Good Morning Kurosaki-kun. I brought you some breakfast, since Yuzu said you didn't eat any."

"Uhm…Thanks Inoue, what is it?"

She then launched into a monologue about food, and I heard all of it was covered in a red bean paste.

"Um…," I said awkwardly, "Thanks, but I'm not hungry Inoue, that's why I skipped."

"Oh," she said, sounding a little hurt, but then brightened up again, "That's alright more for me and Tatsuki then!"

"I brought my own food, but thanks Hime." Tatsuki answered with a smile.

Everyone knew in my class that Orihime was a terrible cook…and by terrible I mean nearly everything was inedible to anyone but her.

I walked into the classroom, to my desk, and heard the many oohs, and aahs and Kurosaki's that the girls would cry out. I'm probably the most popular guy in my class, and I have the most fan girls without doing anything. Lucky me…

-I-

The bell rang just as I sat down and everyone rushed to their seats before the teacher could enter the room. She walked into the classroom with the same teacher-like air they all had.

"Alright class…" She started.

"Today we're going to study school and have so much fun!" A sarcastic girly voice said into my ear. I turned around startled and found myself face-to-face with a black-haired midget with startling violet eyes.

**Cayuna: Yeah! I did it, first chapter!**

**Rukia: Come on, I only get in the last paragraph of this whole story?**

**Cayuna: Because, I have to introduce Ichigo first, then you come in and make it awesome!**

**Rukia: Oh, Ok I'm fine with that.**

**Orihime: Hi! I made a cake for Alicia-chan's birthday!**

**Ichigo: What's in it?**

**Orihime: Just some red bean paste, carrot's potato peels, some lemon juice, rice and…**

**Cayuna: Alright…ENOUGH! I have a weak stomach *sick* How about you eat it for us huh?**

**Orihime: OK!**

**Cayuna: I want Rukia to do the honors and Ichigo to wish Alicia a happy birthday!**

**Rukia: Please review!**

**Cayuna: Reviews are love!**

**Ichigo: Happy birthday Alicia…I guess you want me to get dressed in a purple thing and dance around now? (reference to homestar runner, teehee)**

**Cayuna, Rukia: Yes please! ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Cayuna: Yeah! I'm updating! Doesn't that make you happy?**

**Ichigo: Yes very much, now hurry up.**

**Rukia: Ichigo, shut up, and be patient.**

**Ichigo: Who are you to tell me what to do?**

**Rukia: I'm your elder by more than a hundred years, you listen you youngster! *pokes Ichigo with old person cane***

**Cayuna: Tee-hee, now youngster do the caption!**

**Ichigo: Cayuna doesn't own Bleach…**

-The Rising Dawn-

"_Today we're going to study school and have so much fun!" A sarcastic girly voice said into my ear. I turned around startled and found myself face-to-face with a black-haired midget with startling violet eyes._

-Ichigo POV-

"GAH!" I yelled at the sudden appearance of the midget. All I got was a smirk from her, and detention from the teacher. Great…

She followed me to all my classes making annoyingly sarcastic remarks about my grades, classes, and teachers, and finally at lunch I had had enough. I found a secluded place where I could talk to her, or more like demand answers and for her to stop following me.

"Alright, why are you here?" I said turning around to see her looking around nervously. I heard the unearthly scream behind me no sooner than the words were out of my mouth. I felt the huge figure loom up behind me, and I saw the girl bring out a long katana.

She jumped over me smoothly, used my head to jump higher and shoved her sword through the giant monster's smooth white mask. It disintegrated almost immediately.

"What was that?" I gritted out. She put a finger up to her mouth and pointed over to a group of kids who were passing and whispered,

"I'll tell you at your detention thing."

-Rukia POV-

I studied this boy closely, he seemed like your average teenager, other than the reiatsu he was pouring out. How was he supposed to be the new king? And, I gulped, me the queen. I almost wanted to go back to the soul king and ask him if he was the correct one, but the soul king wouldn't take that…well…he always chose right, so who were his subjects to question him?

The soul king had sent me to be a guardian of the new king, and to get to know him, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't take the news well. That was too bad, I had already started to like him, he was extremely fun to annoy. And, I have to admit he is pretty handsome.

Now we were headed to a class they called art. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but then I saw what this class was about. The "sensei" as they had called her drew a rabbit on the board as an example.

Finally, something exciting for once! She busied talking about the famous old dead artists, while I enjoyed drawing cute bunnies on Ichigo's sketchbook. He was sleeping leaning back in his chair, at the back of the room.

"Kurosaki," the teacher called, "Why don't you show us your art that you've drawn back there."

Ichigo awoke at the sound of his name, and stared down at his paper. He groaned, turned red and held up the Chappy the Rabbit drawings to the whole class. They exploded in laughter. He just got a darker red, and sent me a blood-chilling stare. I just grinned.

The rest of his classes were just as boring. There was science – some weird thing with tubes and icky smelling liquids – I had tried to drink one, but Ichigo had jumped up yelling "No, don't drink that!" That was funny.

The last class he had was called Geography. That was the worst one of all. First of all the teacher was this old, fat guy who droned on about the importance of knowing your place in the world. I strutted around copying the old guy up front, and was successful in bringing the constant frown Ichigo wore to more of a straight line.

I grinned at him, and he switched from an almost grin to a smirk. I was ignored after that. I just stuck my tongue out at him and waited- while pouting- in the back of the room.

Finally his classes were done, and we walked into the detention room.

-Ichigo POV-

Finally this horrible day was over. I walked into my English classroom and sat down to enjoy my hour of detention. There was a note written on the blackboard it read:

_Kurosaki Ichigo, I have gone to pick up my children, I expect you to still stay through your detention, without me here. If you don't I will find out._

That sounded just a bit creepy. I turned to glare at the midget girl and then said threateningly, "Now tell me everything."

She crossed her arms over her chest, stared me down, and said, "Ask what you want to know."

Well that was good, at least she was being reasonable, I said to myself to keep from pounding the annoying midget into the ground.

"Alright, what's your name?"

"Rukia…Kuchiki." She responded carefully.

"What are you?"

"I'm a shinigami-death god- I take the souls of the dead in this world to the Soul Kingdom."

"What's your purpose here?"

"I'm here to…study you. The soul king who rules over the soul kingdom is dying, his queen is already dead. He has chosen you to inherit the throne, and I am next in line for the queen-ship when the new king comes. I was sent to watch you and communicate, and to protect you."

I felt like laughing to myself, this was the biggest bull crap I've ever heard of, but I still continued questioning.

"Ok, so you're saying I'm the next soul king, you're the next soul queen, and you've been sent to protect me."

She only nodded.

"Why are you invisible to everyone else?"

She growled and rolled her eyes. "I'm a soul, I don't have a human body, idiot. And your reiatsu is high enough for you to see me."

"What's reiatsu?"

"It's the amount of spiritual energy one being contains."

He was a little reluctant to ask this question, but he did, "What was that thing that was after me?"

She looked thoughtful for a second before answering. "You would call it a hollow. It is a soul that has been attached to the human world by something, and has turned bad. They're basically bad souls."

"Why was it after me?"

"Because you're the next soul king and your spewing reiatsu all over the place! They're attracted to reiatsu like your people say a fly is to sugar."

I couldn't help it anymore, just because she looked so serious, and like she believed everything she was saying. I laughed, harder than I have for a long time.

**Cayuna: Yeah! Done!**

**Ichigo: ^^**

**Rukia: Wow…he is an idiot…**

**Ichigo: Only because she makes me look like one!**

**Rukia: You don't make the man, you bring out what's already inside.**

**Ichigo:…**

**Rukia: Well please review!**

**Cayuna: Reviews are love! (Oh and go and listen to SHINee-Lucifer – don't own! – It's awesome!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Cayuna: Hello people…**

**Rukia: Um…hi…someone's grumpy…**

**Cayuna: No, I'm just tired…traveling back from a hotel to home so I decided to write…**

**Ichigo: You couldn't write any other time…do you hate us that much?**

**Cayuna: No, school just started a couple of weeks ago, I've been busy! Why would you think I would hate you?**

**Ichigo: Because I hate you that much…**

**Rukia: O_o he's dead.**

**Cayuna: *seemingly calm but face changing dark red rapidly* Oh well…I get to make Ichigo a really big jerk and in idiot and make Rukia start to hate him.**

**Ichigo: You wouldn't…*evil glare***

**Cayuna: Try me…Chappy, get him and lock him in the closet!**

**Chappy: Yes mistress!**

**Cayuna: Kon, do the caption.**

**Kon: Cayuna doesn't own Bleach or any of the characters…now give me a hug nee-san! *jumps***

**Rukia: Catches and locks in closet with Ichigo.**

**Cayuna: Nice touch ;)**

**Rukia: Thanks.**

-The Rising Dawn-

_I couldn't help it anymore, just because she looked so serious, and like she believed everything she was saying. I laughed, harder than I have for a long time._

-Rukia POV-

I couldn't believe this! He was laughing at me! How dare he!

"Stop it." I commanded with my coldest voice. "If you don't want to believe me fine, I'll leave and let you get eaten by hollows and go ask the soul king for a new candidate!"

He raised his eyebrows, quiet for a moment, and laughed even harder.

"That's enough, I'm leaving!" I said as I stomped out the door. You know…I just love people enjoying my misery; it makes me feel so good about myself. (AN: Sarcasm…if you couldn't tell.)

Well if that's what he wanted then fine! I'll leave and let him essentially kill himself for not listening to me. I continued that thought for about thirty seconds before I turned around and marched straight back into that room.

He was sleeping, of course. How could it be he had the highest grade in the class when he didn't do anything? This world is messed up…

Well, since he wasn't paying attention I decided to study him. The first thing that had caught my attention was the bright orange hair coming up in an unruly mane out of his head. I came up closer and pulled it to see if it had been "dyed" as they called it. It wasn't. How is it humanly possible to get hair that naturally bright? It boggled me!

Next was his face. Sure he was handsome, I had to give him that, but he wasn't extremely gorgeous either. He had caught my eye, I had to give him that too, but more that anything was his eyes. His eyes that were closed right now. Even if his face didn't give away any emotion other that a scowl or an occasional smirk, his eyes were like beacons to me.

The emotion I could see in those dark amber orbs was incredible. I wondered if anyone else could see through his eyes the way I did. It didn't seem likely. I mean couldn't they tell he was suffering?

He was sad, miserable, and maybe even a little depressed. I wonder why? But since those eyes were closed right now I got bored, so I decided to check again to make sure he didn't dye his hair. I tugged a bit too hard this time and those eyes opened clear as day, not sleep groggy at all.

So he was awake this whole time?

-Ichigo POV-

Alright, after she pulled my hair the second time I was through with pretending to be asleep. I opened my eyes and jumped up, causing even more of my hair to be pulled in the process.

"OW! What was that for?" I yelled with enough force for her to know I was pissed.

She looked like she had seen a ghost, she was so pale. But then again she was a ghost, so did that make her naturally pale? Did I just think that, there is no way I'm buying into this crap!

Back to the present issue. I looked at her again and was surprised to see a light blush coating her cheeks. I couldn't help but smirk, and once she saw it the blush disappeared and her face went back to the stony mask she wore. (AN: Figuratively, of course)

She looked up at me and said, "I was seeing if you dyed your hair."

A contemplative look appeared on her face, "I don't see why you would want to kill your hair though, It sounds like an idiotic thing to do."

That last comment she had said was too hilarious to ignore though, so I couldn't help but grin a little bit.

"No," I corrected, "Dying your hair just means you turn it a different color."

"Ah!" She exclaimed, "So you do dye it!"

"No, I don't."

"Are, you sure because I think you do!"

"No I don't."

"Yeah, whatever you say."

"You freakin' annoying midget! I don't dye my freakin' hair!"

"Language, Language." She tisked at me.

I swear if she says another thing I'm going to make her smaller than she already is.

-Rukia POV-

_*Beep, Beep!* _Came from my pocket, before I could tease him any longer. I reached into it and pulled out my hollow detector/cell phone/Chappy camera.

No! That couldn't be!

"Ichigo," I said looking up, "Where do you live?"

-Ichigo POV-

I saw her face drop the playful look and turn sober almost immediately. When she looked up at me I saw the barely concealed panic in her eyes and heard it in her voice.

"Ichigo, where do you live?"

**Cayuna: Well I'm done! What will happen to Ichi? Tune in next week to find out!**

**Ichigo, Rukia: …**

**Cayuna: What?**

**Ichigo: I think that is the worst cliffhanger you've ever done!**

**Rukia: Strangely enough, I'm going to have to agree with him.**

**Cayuna: Ah *pouts* but I did put IchiRuki fluff in there!**

**Ichigo, Rukia: Joy…**

**Cayuna: Alright guys, tell me whatcha think! Also gomen it's been so long, done lot's of schoolwork and stuff, but I'm sick today so I'm dedicating it to writing. Alrighty, ummm, Ulquiorra, you do the honors.**

**Ulquiorra: Fine…*says in monotone voice* Please review…**

**Cayuna: Reviews are love ~nya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Cayuna: Hey all, so quick announcement before we get started. I posted an Author's Note on one of my other stories, asking whether I should update weekly with smaller chapters, or to update in a lot longer time, with longer chapters. Smaller chapters seemed more favorable, so that's what I'll be doing here too.**

**Ichigo: Well finally this story can be updated as well.**

**Cayuna: Hehehe yeah…**

**Rukia: You should feel guilty for ignoring us.**

**Cayuna: I do! Gomenasai!**

**Rukia: Good! Now go write!**

**Cayuna: Someone has to do the caption though…**

**Rukia: ICHIGO! You're doing the caption.**

**Ichigo: Cayuna doesn't own Bleach!**

*Words that appear that the meaning might not be known.*

*shunpo – a means of transportation for soul reapers, consisting of several quick jumps from one place to another, the fastest transportation on foot

-The Rising Dawn-

_I saw her face drop the playful look and turn sober almost immediately. When she looked up at me I saw the barely concealed panic in her eyes and heard it in her voice._

"_Ichigo, where do you live?"_

-Rukia POV-

This was bad. Very bad. Usually things with hollows are easy for me, but not this time. This is very bad.

Which is why Ichigo and I are racing at our top speeds to get to his home.

I arrived much sooner than Ichigo, thanks to my _shunpo*_, so I got to work trying to eliminate the hollow. I underestimated it; way underestimated it.

By the time Ichigo had reached me I was bleeding, not profusely, but it was still bad enough that if I fought any longer it would start to affect me. His eyes were wide as he looked upon a hollow for the first time.

**(AN: Yes, my hollows are a bit different then the actual hollows, but this makes them much harder to kill.) **It's skin was black, yet translucent at the same time, like a fog. Except this dense fog was drawn into somewhat of a shape around a giant, thick white mask. The mask was seemingly made of bone, drawn thickly together to create a strong surface. The fog represented the spirit of the beast being held together by the mask. The mask was their protection.

So essentially if their mask was broken, then their spirit would dissipate and "be no more". Usually that is easy, but here's one thing you might not know. Hollows feed on souls.

That's what we soul reapers are for. We find souls that have departed and still walk the earth, in the soul realm. We simply invite them into the Soul Kingdom, also known as Seireitei*, where they can live safe among other souls with hardly any threat of being attacked by hollows.

Hollows* are souls that are still trapped on earth for some purpose; it may be an unfulfilled wish, or an attachment that can't be let go of. Then these poor souls go bad, turning into these dark and horrific monsters.

Anyway, back to my point. Hollows feed on souls. A hollow needs souls to live and survive in the human world for any long period of time. They grow stronger with each soul they feed on, which strengthens their mask, making it harder for a soul reaper to destroy the mask and release the soul inside.

Here is where I come in. I try to destroy it in the quickest, cleanest way possible, by cutting it's mask in two from behind. No, trust me these are not backhanded measures when dealing with these…things. They are so twisted they cannot even be called human anymore.

The problem is, I had already destroyed two hollows today. My power level has decreased enough that I can't take on one hollow without taking a few swings at it first, which is why I'm in the state I am. It's taking a lot more than a few swings to destroy this hollow.

Don't make the mistake of thinking hollows are stupid and slow, because they're not. Oh, and the spirit/fog part of them can't be touched with a blade, yet they can use it to form claws and weapons to hurl. An unfair advantage? Definitely. Is there anything I can do about it? No.

-Ichigo POV-

Rukia was already bleeding pretty badly. I can tell because my family are "gifted" in the ways of medicine and treatments. From what I could tell she had a wound on her head, she was favoring her left leg, so maybe a broken ankle, and her left arm was hanging limply at her side.

She seems to have found my "spiritual energy" because she looked at me for a moment before ducking down to evade another blow. Leaving me, right in the sight of the hollow.

-Rukia POV-

Oh, no! It must have sensed Ichigo's spiritual energy. His is much stronger than mine. Which means…Yes, the hollow turned toward him and ran, which left me as the only one who could protect him.

I turned around for one moment to yell, "Run! Ichigo!" Just as two small voice called from the driveway of his house, "Welcome home Nii-Chan!"

His eyes whipped around from me toward the girls standing there. "Yuzu, Karin, get inside please." He called in a cool voice trying to sound normal.

They looked confused but walked slowly back inside.

Ichigo turned back, to see the hollow rushing toward him. There was no time for him to get away. I looked at the large mask to see a small opening near the center. If only I could get my sword though that, then I can kill this thing, but there is no other way to get it there then…yes I have to do it!

I shunpo-ed in front on the hollow and shoved my sword through the small crack, just as it's teeth sank into my chest.

**Cayuna: Alright…well here it is!**

**Rukia: You really enjoy leaving the reader in suspense don't you?**

**Cayuna: Well it keeps them coming to read more :)**

**Ichigo: True…**

**Rukia: Well give Cayuna a little R&R and tune in next week to get the next chapter!**

**Cayuna: Reviews are love~nya!**


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